A BLUNDER which brought two Metrolink trams within seconds of a head-on crash in Manchester was being considered by Parliament today.

Blackley MP Graham Stringer - in whose constituency the drama happened last Friday - has put down an Early Day Motion expressing serious concern about the incident and demanding that the results of an inquiry be made public.

And Mr Stringer also called for Serco, the operators of the system, to be banned from future Metrolink developments because he says they did not tell the public what had happened until three days after the incident.

His motion condemns Serco's "deliberate attempt to keep the incident secret - which should disqualify them from running the system in future".

As reported in the Manchester Evening News yesterday, two trams came within 200 feet of disaster after being routed on to the same track in opposite directions.

Emergency brakes

Around 20 passengers escaped injury as both drivers spotted each other and slammed on their emergency brakes. Two controllers have been suspended as Metrolink bosses and the Railway Inspectorate conduct separate inquiries.

It is understood that the driver of the empty southbound tram was told by a controller to ignore the red signal which put him on the same track as the Bury-bound service which had just set off from Cheetham Hill.

Serco Metrolink managing director Maurice Perkins insists that the company informed Greater Manchester PTA and the Railway Inspectorate about the incident within half an hour of it happening. But Mr Stringer believes a public statement should have been released.

The drama could not have come at a worse time for Serco. With its Canadian partners SNC Lavalin, it is about to submit its "best and final offer" to a committee which will choose from two shortlisted consortia to build and operate the newly extended Metrolink network, including new lines to Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton under Lyne, and the Airport.

Mr Stringer said: "The fact is that they do not seem to understand the importance of what happened. At the very least, the public needs reassuring that this kind of thing can't happen again."

A joint statement by the PTA and Serco today expressed concern that there was "the potential for an incident"...."especially as we place the highest priority on passenger safety".

It adds: "Although drivers reacted properly in accordance with their training and operational procedures, we have taken immediate action to prevent repetition of the situation whilst a fuller investigation takes place. The appropriate authorities were immediately advised and assured of our complete co-operation."